New KEF Five-2 Series Speakers deliver true five channel performance from only two enclosures

September 6, 2006 Blending a home theatre speaker system into today’s custom interiors can be a daunting undertaking, frequently necessitating undesirable compromises among performance, installation flexibility and budget. KEF’s unique new Five-2 Series speakers provide an elegant solution to this dilemma. The Five-2 Series speakers’ name derives from their ability to produce true five channel sound from just 2 patented speaker enclosures. The completely new line is comprised of the Model 7 bookshelf speaker system (seven drivers) and the Model 11 floor standing speaker system (eleven drivers). KEF Five-2 Series speakers will be available October 2006 and the Model 7 and Model 11 will retail at US$1,000 and US$1,800 respectively.

“The new Five-2 Series speakers build on our award winning KEF Instant Theatre technology and bring it to new applications and levels of performance,” said Alec Chanin, president of KEF America. “The Five-2 Series Model 7 and Model 11 offer a unique patented acoustic solution to those who either cannot or would prefer not to accommodate five separate speakers and the associated wiring spread around their room, but would still like to enjoy the exciting experience of true 5.1 channel home theatre sound.”

Both models feature a slender and elegant “racetrack” shaped enclosure and are available in either a matt silver or high gloss black finish to match most of today’s popular flat panel displays. Optional matching floor stands and wall brackets are available for use with the Model 7s.

KEF achieves true five-channel, no compromise sound from two speaker enclosures by combining their patented Uni-Q ‘point source’ drivers in a multi-driver array with a uniquely new application of NXT flat panel technology. Although housed in only two enclosures, true, discrete left/center/right and left/right surround signals are fed to and reproduced by different drivers within the enclosures. The inherently broad dispersion pattern of KEF’s patented Uni-Q drivers creates a rock-solid center-fill, while the wide, diffused soundfield from the dipole NXT flat panels provides spacious surround and ambient effects.

Both KEF Five-2 systems feature the latest generation of Uni-Q drivers, which are capable of even deeper bass and greater dynamics than their widely praised predecessors, and the newly optimized NXT panels deliver even greater rear channel “punch.”

And the Uni-Q’s extremely wide and uniform dispersion pattern insures that an entire roomful of family and friends share equally in the experience, rather than just those sitting in a small ‘sweet spot’ as is the case with conventional application speakers.

This patented design delivers all the subtleties and spatial depth encoded in today’s digital formats and eliminates the need for a multi-speaker set-up and the associated complex, unsightly wiring it requires.

Hook up of the Five-2 Series Speakers is simple itself, and they are designed to be used with any digital A/V home theatre receiver and KEF Subwoofer, thus providing the utmost flexibility in terms of both performance and budget. Although any KEF Subwoofer may be used with the Five-2 Series Speakers, KEF’s new generation HTB2 Sub, available in the same matt silver and high gloss black finishes, makes for an ideal match.

KEF Five-2 Series speakers will be available October 2006 and the Model 7 and Model 11 will retail at US$1,000 and US$1,800 respectively.